Dark Child
by randomfreak-11189
Summary: One girls story as she grows up in the Shang World
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the multiple series' written by Tamora Pierce, or any of the original characters, places, or names. Only the plot and the new characters are mine.

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"**Dark Child"**

_The Goddess sat. The Divine realms had little room for such a mistake as her brothers, this she knew. Unfortunately, she cared about the powerful god, some would say _the_ most powerful God, more then she admitted._

"_The child must be dealt with." The voice echoed to her left, the deep resounding ring of the voice of Mithros pierced the space between the two immortals. "She cannot be killed, as the laws dictate, but we must prevent her from becoming aware of the mistake made."_

"_I know." The Goddesses voice sounded wistfully. "But still, one has to imagine the power she must have."_

"_It is irrelevant. We must take action. It is a sad fortune that our brother did not tell us of the mistake until she was born into the mortal realm. We should have destroyed her in the womb."_

"_Yes. Even though she is a daughter, she _is_ a mortal, powerful or no. We must find a way to fix this mistake of his._

"_Yes. How old is she now in mortal time?"_

"_Barely three months," The goddess replied, "She is weak and unprotected, save for her mortal parents. We must destroy her."_

"_Yes." Mithros' voice echoed again, and the Divine realms, that place between life and the afterlife, melted away._

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The sun was just rising, and Elena was worried. She had not seen Eri since darkness fell, and the howls of the wolves had echoed all throughout the night. The surrounding mountains may have amplified the eerie canine wails, but they sounded as if they were outside the door of the little wooden shack nestled in the feet of the Roof of the World.

Elena had stayed inside the entire night, and Blake was trading their meagre supplies in the markets of Corus. Elena was afraid for the three month old baby that they had found in a cave, she was afraid that she had been eaten or maimed by the ravenous wolves that roamed the mountains in ever increasing numbers, looking for food of any sort. They sometimes had resorted to cannibalism, and the sounds of the wolves outside her house had sent shivers through her bones. Blake was due back that day, but she knew that the child had precious little time before the wolves found her, if they hadn't already.

Elena stood, and made her way though the hut, heading to the front of the house, ready to search, for her adopted daughter's sake.

As she reached the door, she stopped. There was a faint noise outside, and it sounded like, like crying? She opened the door, and on its swing outward, it almost hit a small bundle, wrapped in furs. It was Eri, and she was crying.

Elena quickly bent over and picked her up, then stopped.

In front of the house, which was situated in a little clearing, were about a half dozen dead wolves.

The woman stared for a moment, then looked at the small pink child she held in her arms. The child was smiling now, and its bright, amber eyes, which had disconcerted Elena at first, were clear and empty of tears. As Elena stood holding the child, she felt a chill come over her, though the day was already becoming warm. The child squirmed in her arms, and she Elena looked at the small bundle as she stood in the circle of dead wolves.

"What are you?" The woman asked of the child, but she received no response other then a toothless grin and a small burbling noise.

Elena had never been uncomfortable with anything out of the ordinary, but this child was something else, something she had never experienced. She took the child inside and set her in her crib. Elena turned about, and sat at a small wooden desk, one of the few valuables in her home, and began to write.

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An hour, and several sheets of thick homemade paper, later, she had finished her letter. It was addressed to the head mage in the citadel of Corus, which was several hundred miles away from her home in the roof of the world. Elena decided not to reveal that she had found the child in the wilderness, for fear Eri may be taken from her. She re-read her letter, checking for any mistakes she may have made;

_Mage Numair,_

_I am writing from a small house in the roof of the world, and I believe that my daughter may have a gift, or something like it. Would you be able to test my daughter if I came to Corus in several weeks?_

_Neither I nor my husband has the gift, and I am not sure if this means she also isn't gifted, but I wish to find out, as I have had some experience with gifted children and know the damage they can do if they are not trained._

_Please reply soon, as if I wish to leave for Corus, I must depart within two weeks, or the pass to the plains will be blocked, and I will not be able to come till next spring._

_Sincerely,_

_Elena _

Pleased, Elena set the letter down, and prepared for her trip into the small town of Selderra several miles away. As she bustled around the cabin, picking up coats and other necessities, she spoke to the child,

"You won't go off by yourself again, will you? Because I doubt if you could save yourself twice, even with whatever it is that you did to those wolves." Here she stopped and looked again at the child, who was asleep in her cradle.

Elena sighed, collected her gear and the letter, then walked out of the cabin, leaving the doors and windows securely latched, so the child couldn't wander off and get herself hurt.

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"Blake!"

Blake ignored the sound of Jarrod's voice. He was nearly home, and he didn't want to be disturbed, but Jarrod was persistent.

"Blake! Stop walking man, you know I'm not as young as I used to be!"

Blake sighed and stopped walking. Jarrod would keep this up all day unless he listened now.

"What is it Jarrod? I want to get home to my wife before next harvest."

"Well," Jarrod said, panting slightly from the effort of catching up to the tall young man, "I don't think that will be possible."

Blake looked at him, and turned slowly, "What do you mean?" he asked, a sense of foreboding stealing over him.

"They sent me to tell you. She's in the village, or what's left of her."

At these words, Blake's stomach dropped through his feet.

"What do you mean 'what's left of her'? Where is she?"

"Come with me, Blake, and you'll see." Jarrod's voice was gentle, and Blake felt himself being guided to the hut of the village healer.

Crowds of people had gathered at the door of the hut, and all of them seemed shocked, horrified at the carnage that, Blake was sure, lay within.

Blake walked in, relying heavily on the arm of Jarrod, and then he saw his wife, lying on the table.

He nearly retched, feeling his stomach rebelling as his unwilling brain processed what was before him. Elena had obviously been savaged by wolves, and she was barely recognisable. Unfortunately, Blake thought, he would know his wife anywhere, and that included this bloodstained table. Someone handed Blake the small pile of belongings that Elena had carried, and he took them automatically, in oblivion of sorrow.

He looked once more at the sad figure on the table, and then did the only thing he could think of.

Blake turned, and ran.

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He ran all the way to the house that he and his wife shared, and threw open the door. Inside he heard the baby squalling its distress, and Blake wandered through the cloth that separated the bedchamber from the rest of the house. He sat on the bed, and stared at the child in its cot, which had become quiet now that a familiar face was near.

She looked up at him, and Blake could see the smile in her eyes, the innocence unaware of the death that surrounded her. He made himself a promise that he would take care of this child that had unexpectedly come into the life of he and his wife. But now he was alone, and he needed some reminder of his wife, and that innocence was still in this world. Blake gently covered the child, who drifted off to sleep.

Blake remained on the bed and went through the pile that he still carried in his arms. He took care, handling the items gently. There was mostly food and supplies, and also, strangely a letter. Blake opened it, and read its contents.

Afterwards, he looked at the child again, wondering what it was that had alarmed his wife so. He had seen, but not registered the dead wolves, and wondered if that was it.

He decided that it didn't matter, and lay down on the bed.

Blake curled up and cried.

The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was murmuring to the sleeping child, a phrase never forgotten, but never again spoken,

"I will always take care of you."

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Hey readers, please review! I hope you all like it, and if u don't, and constructive criticism is welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Eri woke. She had been looking forward to today for months and now it was finally here! Today was the day that the Shang Jaguar would stop briefly in the town of Selderra, and Eri would do almost anything to get there.

She leapt out of bed, and ran into one of the two other rooms in the house, the one that served as both kitchen and eating area. Her father was already there, having woken several hours before dawn, to feed the few cattle and goats that they owned.

"Good morning papa," Eri said as she walked into the room, "Did you sleep well?" Her father looked up from his meal of bread and cheese, and his eyebrows rose.

"You're worried about how I slept? This is odd behaviour from my little terror of a six and a half year old. Why are you so," he paused, "Concerned?"

"Is making sure that my father had a good nights sleep a sin?"

Her father's eyebrows rose even further, "No-o, but I still think something's strange with you today."

Eri gave an innocent grin, and Blake continued, "Do you want something?" Eri said nothing, and she knew her father would think her silence was a confirmation.

"Yes, I think you want something," Eri hid a grin, she was right, "Come on, what is it?"

"Nothing much papa, I just want to visit the town." Her father blanched; his face the colour of clouds on an overcast day.

As Eri looked at her father, pleading with her eyes, she knew what the answer would be, and she knew that he was not happy.

"Absolutely not!"

_Damn_, she thought, _Well, that's going to be his final word about that, I think. Well, when I leave, he'll wish that he wasn't so stubborn and had taken me into the town._

"All right papa, no need to get upset, I'm sorry if I said something wrong."

Her father looked at her, then said gruffly, "No need for apologies my girl, I lost my head. But you do know we don't go into town, _ever_."

"Yes papa, I know and I'm sorry."

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It was night, and the sky was so dark that Eri could barely see her hand in front of her face. She had sneaked out of the little house just an hour earlier, leaving a note, closing the window quietly behind her as she left.

She had walked down the little known path in the dark, and Eri was beginning to feel that walking into the village in the dark might not have been the best idea.

Eri wandered on, bare feet feeling the difference between the gravel of the path, and the thick scrub on either side. The darkness was overwhelming, although there was a thin, limning moon peeking over the trees. Eri hesitantly ran along the path, cursing as rocks and burrs cut into her feet, but feeling relieved, and happy as she made her way to meet the Shang.

As she ran she felt a strange unease come over her, yet nothing was out of place in the surrounding night. She stopped, and as she was glancing around, she felt a prickling run through her spine. Eri began walking again, following the gradually increasing eerie feeling into the darkness beyond the barely visible fringe of trees.

Entering the utter blackness in the woods, oddly she could hear no noise. No small noises of nocturnal animals scurrying, no distant howls of the wolves that ran rampant in the hills. Somehow, the silence was worse then the snarling of an unseen beast.

"Who's there?" Her voice wavered as the darkness grew, and she felt a definite _something_ lurking in the shadows. Eri tried to speak again, but her voice failed her when she heard a noise. It was just a small noise, she remembered later, nothing louder then the drop of a pin, but it echoed in the gloom.

The noise was a voice, a voice that sounded dead, but still spoke. It sounded like the grating of the lids of coffins, and, though the voice faded quickly, she could hear a thousand sighs inside the voice.

"Daughter…"

At this she stopped, and felt her blood freeze in her veins. "Who's there? Who are you?"

But there was no reply.

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Eri entered the town just as the sun was rising, and the heavy frost was lifting from the thick grass. _I've made it!_ She thought, _now I can finally meet the Shang Jaguar and leave this place to see the world!_

She stumbled into the town, happy, but cursing the thin soled boots, for they had worn through sometime during the night.

The town of Selderra was a small one, Eri remembered, with only a few people living there permanently and only one or two merchants bothered making their way this far north to trade. There was an inn Eri's father had told her about, the inn had no name and was known only as Tranell's place among the locals. Any visitors, Eri was sure, would be housed here, and a Shang warrior would be given only the very best the small town had to offer.

Eri made her way past the huts and headed towards the only double story building in the town, the Inn. _I have to be careful getting in, because no one will know me, thanks to may father. I wish he had at least _told_ me why he wouldn't take me here. But, it's too late now!_ She felt happier then she had the entire night as she walked, somewhat cautiously, into the inn.

Eri walked up to the desk of the Inn, and looked over the rim of the high table at the tall, fat man standing with his back to her. He was doing something on the opposite side of the desk, which Eri couldn't see. She waited for him to turn, but he didn't, so she gave a small cough. He still didn't turn.

_What is he, deaf?_ She thought irreverently. She gave another, louder cough.

He still didn't turn. _Humph, to damnation with this._

"Excuse me?" The man started and turned as Eri spoke.

"Y-yes? How can I help you?" _Finally_, Eri thought. "Could you please point me in the direction of the Shang Jaguar? I need to see him."

The man took a closer look at her, and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, for starters, what're you wanting with the Shang Jaguar?" he pronounced it 'jagger' and Eri nearly winced, "and since you obviously don't know who you're lookin' for, I'll tell you that the Shang Jaguar ain't no him, she's a her."

Eri almost gasped. _A her? I wasn't expecting that!_

"Now," the barman continued, unaware of Eri's shock, "what's a sprout like you wanting with the Jaguar, she don't like to be bothered."

This man was annoying her. "I wish to see her, my business is my own." Her voice was sharp, and the man raised an eyebrow again, then spoke,

"Well, the little miss has a tongue, and a sharp one at that! I'll ask the Jaguar whether she'll she a cheeky little girl with a mission."

Eri scowled over the tabletop, and the man grinned. "I'm sure she'll see you, if only to look at a funny little thing such as yourself." Outraged, Eri opened her mouth to talk back, but the barman had already left.

Eri edged around the tall counter, and looked to where the man was heading. He walked towards a small table in the corner of the dark room, and talked briefly with a woman sitting there.

The woman was short and stocky with dark, nearly black skin. She had closely cropped brown hair and no chest to speak of, but her eyes were hazel and alert as she looked over at Eri. Eri felt the woman fix her powerful gaze on her, and made an effort to meet it. Eri continued to struggle with the stare for several moments, before she broke it off and looked at the ground. She wondered if it was some kind of test, and hoped it wasn't, for she felt sure she had failed. When she dared to look up at the woman again, she had a strange smile on her middle-aged face, and while Eri was watching her, she beckoned.

Eri glanced around, then walked over to the table, strangely thankful that she wasn't dressed as a girl, she was wearing her preferred clothing of britches and a loose shirt.

The walk seemed to take forever, but when she got to the table near the fire, she instantly relaxed in the woman's presence.

"Well, youngling, what do you wish to speak to me of?" The woman's voice was low and rich, and Eri could smell the sweet odour of plums on her breath and body.

Eri swallowed, spoke her simple desire, "I-I wish to become Shang."

The woman looked her over carefully, then asked, "Do your parents know of this?"

"I have no family. I live alone, on the charity of others. I am nobody's child" Eri stopped abruptly, slightly embarrassed by her outrageous lie, and waited to see how the Shang would react.

The dark skinned woman didn't say anything for a few moments, then spoke again, "You have no family?" she seemed slightly suspicious, but when Eri shook her head, the woman seemed to reconsider. "Well, if you have no-one, then I can surely take you. However, I am leaving within the hour and you must be sure if you wish to choose this life."

Eri gulped, _Within the hour? I didn't think it would be so soon, but I'm going to do this._

"I'll go." The words felt powerful as she spoke them, and she shivered. The woman smiled at her, "Well, we must be getting ready then. Is all you have those clothes?" Eri nodded, and the woman continued, "We'll have to fix that when we get to the school, but for now those clothes will do."

Eri nodded again, and felt slightly overwhelmed. The woman seemed to notice her discomfort, and smiled at her, her white teeth brilliant in her black face.

"My name, little one, is Liana"

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Hey, finally finished! Anyway, please keep the reviews coming, they feed my brain!


	3. Chapter 3

It took them two weeks to leave the pass; the ride was long and hard, and to Eri, seemingly endless. She had never ridden a horse before, and the pain in her legs was enough to banish her worries about her father completely.

She had decided that her father should know what she had done; she didn't want him to worry. Eri had left a note on the table, explaining her actions- explaining that she had to leave.

_Papa,_

_I know you must be worried. I just want to let you know that I am safe, and that I chose to leave. _

_I can't tell you where I'm going or you'll try to stop me, but I just want you to know that I chose, that I'm safe, and that I'll be back one day when I've done what I have to._

_Love forever,_

_Eri._

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The city was big. Bigger then she had imagined, bigger then she had dreamed.

They entered Corus at the end of the third month of travelling. It was so big, she could hardly believe it. Liana said nothing of her amazement, just chuckled and told her to close her mouth or she's swallow a fly. And there were a lot of flies, even in the winter. The city was humming with noise; traders and merchants bartering, the noise of the royal guard riding down the narrow, busy streets.

Then, out to her left she saw something amazing.

The sea.

The blue expanse glittering, smelling of salt and seaweed on the wind. She looked up and saw white gulls wheeling overhead, calling harshly to those on the land.

She smiled up at Liana and said, her voice barely heard above the noise of the crowds, "Where are the Shang trained? Is it here in the city?"

Liana shook her head and pointed to a large complex of beautiful buildings on the hill in the middle of the city, "That there is the palace. We go there to get a basic check-up on you, both medical and magical."

Eri raised her eyebrows and hesitantly asked, "What do you mean, magical?"

Eri had been taught to avoid magic, those who had the Gift were unwelcome in her village, and, she knew, in many of the villages scattered across the far northern reaches of the Kingdom. Magic was something not spoken about, her father had made the sign against evil whenever magic came up in their conversations. While she didn't share her father's fear of magic, she still felt a little wary of it.

Liana's reply didn't really help.

"Magic is tested by a mage of the palace. They're find those who are magically gifted and send them to those who can train them in the ways of magic. We are taking you to the mage because if you are gifted, I need to know."

"Why?"

"Because, Eri, the gifted are not allowed to join the Shang."

"Why?"

"The gift is seen as, well, not really cheating, but a way to achieve supremacy over an enemy without giving them an opportunity to defend themselves. We of the Shang also view it as a disadvantage to learning our art."

"Why?"

"So many questions! Still, the only unwise question is one not asked. Well, the Shang view the gift as a disadvantage because, if a child has the gift, it must be trained as well. Anyone with the gift that isn't trained is a great danger to themselves and to others. The gift can be a destructive force, though it is usually used for good. There are few mages powerful enough to cause real trouble, and most of them are loyal to the King."

Eri opened her mouth to ask another question then closed it as the road took a sharp turn, and began to climb the hill towards the palace.

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_The Goddess was angry._

_She had tried several times to finish the child, the mistake her silent brother made, but to no avail. It was only a mercy that her attentions had not been noticed by him. He was fierce when he was angry. After all, her brother was the most powerful of them all; even she would one day die, diminished into nothingness by the passing of countless ages._

_She sat, staring down at the world through a portal, a crack in the realm she and the others inhabited. The battles in the south had weakened her, but She was not yet weak enough to let this abomination be. _

_She frowned as she remembered the child Daine. A child of a lesser God, she had been allowed to live, though her life had been fraught with worry and pain._

_This child was different._

_She was the daughter of the Dark one; she was human only in the form she had taken. She had not formed in a mother's womb, no one awaited her arrival eagerly, no mother or human father for the little human. She was an annoyance that the Goddess couldn't afford, a thorn in her side. She was a powerful force in the human world, although she didn't know it yet. And during her watching she had learnt she sought to become Shang! The Goddess couldn't avoid dealing with the girl sooner or later, but she had things to attend to, more urgent things._

_  
The girl would be unaware of her power while she was among the Shang, the Goddess had made certain of this. However, anyone with a strong enough gift to overcome her shield would unleash a massive amount of power through the girl. It was a risk, for the girl was potentially as strong as her father, and if the Gift were released it might do a lot of damage in its uncontrolled form._

_The girl would undoubtedly be killed if her gift was released, but that was what She wanted after all..._

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"Well, she has no gift, and otherwise she's perfectly healthy. She's very fit as far as I can tell, and she should do well in your order, Jaguar."

"Good. And here is your payment."

Liana handed the man a silver crown. Eri was surprised. A silver crown was quite a lot of money just for a check-up.

Liana saw her surprise and smiled, "That wasn't just for the check-up. To be honest, it's a bribe. The money I gave the mage was to ensure a safe passage to our training house."

"Why? Where is the training house?"

Liana gave a somewhat carnivorous grin, showing her very white, somewhat sharp teeth.

"It's in a place not usually frequented by tourists. Our base is in the shady side of the city, near the docks. It's under a warehouse, and all the entrances are guarded by our people."

Liana laughed at Eri's expression of bewilderment.

"Wait, before you ask. _Why_ we hide our base is because there are those that would have our order ended. No, not the government, but a few nobles with quite a lot of power have sent spies into our midst before, and so we chose to hide the base underground."

"Will I spend all my time there?"

Eri didn't mind the dark; in fact she rather liked it. She had always enjoyed going out at night, the animals were her only friends. She liked to sit and listen to them speak to one another, the harsh, deep voices of the bears, and the sweet light voices of sparrows that chattered happily as they sat on her shoulder.

"No, we have many outdoor courtyards and gardens that are connected by tunnels. Most of your training will be outdoors, but you will sleep and live in the underground rooms. Until you turn fifteen you will share a dorm with the other girls, but you will then be given a room of your own. When you turn eighteen you will be tested to determine your rank among the Shang, the highest of which is the Dragon. Once you have finished your training, you are free to go where you will, but there may be times when the order needs you, and as such you are bound to us and must come if needed..."

Eri nodded, paying careful attention to everything Liana told her. The words sent something shivering down her spine; the words seemed to be coming in a dream.

She kept listening until she realised that they had come to a large warehouse. She stared around, looking for the guards Liana had told her about.

"They are hidden child."

She looked up at Liana. The tall women seemed to have a way of reading her mind.

"The guards do not show themselves unless they are needed. Now come, we must go inside."

Eri quickly looked around at the warehouse, and stopped as she spotted something hidden near the roof.

"I think I can see a guard."

Liana stopped, and turned back towards Eri.

"Where?"

It seemed a little strange that she would believe her so easily, but she still pointed towards the hidden figure.

"There, behind that group of chimney stacks. Kneeling behind that cluster of three."

Liana stared at the roof for a moment, and then glanced at her questioningly.

"I cannot see them. Are you sure you can?"

Eri paused, about to say that she could feel the guards life on the roof, but stopped, and answered with a simple "Yes."

"Very well."

Liana glanced at her once more, and then barked a word so quickly she couldn't hear it.

Men appeared from nowhere, dissolving out of the woodwork, and stepping out from behind carvings and hidden places behind the boards of wood. Eri frowned at the roof until a man appeared from behind the chimneys, his form silhouetted against the cloudy sky.

Liana glanced down at the girl beside her before shouting another word in the same strange language, after which the guards seemed to disappear.

"Well spotted girl," Liana said, though a slight frown still creased her brow, "I think you will do very well here."

Eri smiled at her, and kept smiling as Liana led her to a passage in the far corner of the warehouse then down it into a series of dry tunnels that smelt slightly musty but seemed comfortable. Liana led her though the darkness to a room, behind which there was a light, and the faint noise of murmuring.

"In here Eri, this is your dormitory."

Liana smiled as Eri stepped forward and gripped the bronze doorhandle. She held her breath and turned the handle, stepping into the light.

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I haven't updated for a while (as you may have noticed) and I am sincerely sorry. With one thing and another I just haven't had the time or the motivation. Thanks to wildMAGICuser whose review got me going. I hope I'll be able to get the next chapter up soon, but no promises...


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